Since I now have a Scamp 19 I have to have a truck, but my favorite tow vehicle for lighter weight trailers was my V6 Toyota 4Runner. It is an extremely capable tow vehicle on flat land, in the mountains, on bumpy dirt roads, etc., while offering the gas mileage of a V6 engine. Definitely worth checking out as you consider all the options.

I have a '06 Saturn Vue 4 cyl. The manual says I can tow 1500 lbs. Does anyone have any experience if that is strong enough for a 13' Scamp or similar?
Thanks- newbie here

Hi: The folks that bought our former '77 Boler towed it away with a 4cyl. Saturn Vue Hybrid that has a 1500 lb. tow cap. I rode in it on the test tows and it performed adequately. What you could expect for higher mileage both towing and not!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Frances, there are several considerations when selecting a tow vehicle. Gas mileage when towing should be the least significant of your concerns if you only tow a couple of thousand miles a year. That being the case, the rest of your non-towing driving miles your gas mileage should be of concern when selecting a tow vehicle. Mileage is always an interesting issue. With a small engine and small tow vehicle you'll work it to death towing, and your 30mpg wondercar's mileage will drop to under 15mpg, and maybe as low as 10 or 12 mpg towing. A larger tow vehicle that gets 17mpg around town will still get 15mpg towing... and because it doesn't have to work as hard, has plenty of reserve power, and will carry all the cargo you want. 15mpg is 15mpg whether you're wearing your tow vehicle out, or merely idling along with loads of power to spare. Buy a vehicle that suits what you're going to do with it. It's your non-towing miles, and the actual number of them vs. towing miles that should determine your choice of tow vehicle in this day of $4 gas.

Also recognize that there is more to towing than getting the load moving... e.g. "rated tow capacity". Of equal or more importance is stopping and maneuvering while towing. There are lots of threads on sway control and trailer brakes. The heavier the tow vehicle, the harder it is for the trailer to push it around when you least want it to be pushed. Cargo capacity (weight and volume, inside or outside) is also important depending on how you camp and what (and who) you take with you.

If you tow primarily in the flatlands, and you are a minimalist, and you use your tow vehicle as your primary commuter car, you can probably "get by" with a tow vehicle with a tow rating close to your trailer's GVWR. If you tow frequently, intend to tow across the country, or carry a lot of stuff with you, buy a vehicle that will do the job without putting you in the poorhouse for repairs from being overloaded all of the time.

I agree 100% with Roger. When we vacation all through the western states, especially into the high elevations, I wouldn't be confident with anything less than an 8 cylinder. For our type of camping, I don't think that we would be happy with less power or lower clearance. We go off the beaten path.

I have a friend who tows a 26' stick built and had car trouble on every single vacation he took until he purchased an Excursion. The tow vehicle could move the trailer fine on flat or short small grades, but when he would take a vacation into the Sierras or Rockies, it was nothing but problems; transmission, shocks, cooling, etc. I would hate spending my vacation at a car repair shop where you get taken advantage of.

The "Sport" in the Rav4 is only a trim designation and has no effect on the towing capacity. If it has a V6 and tow package, any newer Rav4 is 3500 lb. tow rated.

I almost bought one last September, but decided on the '08 Highlander instead... 5000 lb. tow capacity, and I got the full time AWD system (the Rav has an electronic system that only kicks in the rear wheels when slippage is detected) which helps the tire wear when one tows as much as I do... about 20K miles a year.

BTW, someone else commented about the value of a V8. I used to think that way too. But my V6 Highlander far outperforms my V8-equipped 2000 Mercury Mountaineer. The Highlander rides like a luxury car, tows like a truck, and gets 25mpg highway when not towing.

Mike G.

Quote:

Hi Glen
I had a Rav4. What i was not sure about was the Sport model. I know my Rav4 was good for 3500lbs.

I bought the Vue both for gas milage and because I use it to tow my 2000 lb. sailboat. I can't even feel the boat when I tow it so I don't anticipate any problems.

I'll keep you posted.

Harry, I am somewhat curious about your hybrid Vue. How did you endup installing the bargman 7 way connector socket? The saturn dealer I checked would not install a bargman connector on a hybrid stating that it shouldn't be done...... where did you take it to get it installed...any input will be great. Thanks